Cecil Hutson Sermon Archive

February 18, 2007 PM

JESUS, AND THE MAN LIVING IN A CEMETERY

MK 5:1-20

INTRO: If Jesus had desired to go over to the other side of the Sea of Galilee to find a quiet place to rest, His desire was not satisfied! On the way to the other side of the Sea of Galilee there had been the violent storm which had threatened the lives of the men in the little ships. Now, upon arriving in the "country of the Gadarenes", he is immediately met by an unfortunate man possessed of a vast multitude of demons ... so many that he called himself "Legion". There was certainly to be no rest for the Lord there. There are, as is often the case, things in this narrative of which we cannot be certain. Rather than to look at all of the details, however, I want us to think of some lessons to be learned here.

UNDER EVIL'S CONTROL IS NO HAPPY PLACE TO BE

The man is possessed by a host of unclean spirits - Mk 5:9

"Legion" refers to a number from 4000 to 6000 (a Roman legion)

unclean spirits were servants of Satan who controlled people

so, we immediately know that this man is under evil's control

Evil results in unnatural, bizarre behavior - Mk 5:2-5

this man lived in a cemetery (unclean) - society did not want him

he was a wild and unruly man who was out of control

he was crying out and injuring himself constantly

Luke's account tells us he was naked - sensed no shame

he was not in his "right mind" - evil causes people to do things which people in their right mind (under God's control) would not do

People under the dominion of sin are, in some ways, like this wretched man

Eph 2:1-3 - "...according to the prince of the power of the air..."

Eph 4:17-19 - here is a description of people under Satan's control

while their behavior may not be exactly as the man in our text, they are nevertheless "out of control" and shameless

BUT JESUS BRINGS GREAT CHANGES TO A PERSON'S LIFE

Mk 5:15 - "...sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind..."

he is enjoying true peace for first time in a "long time" (Lk 8:27)

he is now "sitting at the feet of Jesus" (Lk 8:35)

the dominion in his life has changed dramatically!

1 Cor 6:9-11 - "...and such were some of you..."

Corinth was a wicked, immoral, godless place - "acting the Corinthian"

but here were people into whose lives Jesus brought great change

2 Cor 5:17 - the "old things are passed away" is significant ... one no longer lives in the gloom of the cemetery ... but in the light of the Son!

Col 3:5-14 - "...ye have put off the old man with his deeds..."

notice, though, vv. 1-4 - these are people who are risen with Christ

Christ had become their life!

Rom 6:4-6 - buried, raised, newness of life, no longer serving sin

NOT EVERYONE WAS HAPPY FOR THE MAN NOW IN PEACE

Mk 5:12-17 - These people were not at all happy with the events!

they doubtless had known about the demon possessed man

but they were only concerned about the loss of their pigs!

could they rejoice with this man with a new lease on life? no! all they could see was damage to their livelihoods

What else might have been of concern to them?

was their fear related to guilt? I have a strong suspicion it was

note Jno 3:19,20 ... here may be the explanation

there is some difference of opinion about the "nationality" of these people - some say they were gentiles, and others say they were Jews

my inclination is to say they were Jews ... and the fact that they are keeping swine would indicate just how depraved they had become

Mk 5:18,19 - A happy ending

Jesus sent the man back to his home and to his friends

how long had it been since he had been at home and with friends!!!

and he was to tell them of the great things the Lord and done for him - and of the Lord's compassion (apparently, little danger of Messianic fervor causing a problem there)

here is Biblical basis for friendship evangelism!

CLOSE: May I be bold to suggest that with Jesus there are only happy endings! Still, we are presented with the choice of serving Satan or our Lord. Choose well, my friends, for the ending is at stake.

Cecil A. Hutson

18 February 2007

God's Plan of Salvation

You must hear the gospel and then understand and recognize that you are lost without Jesus Christ no matter who you are and no matter what your background is. The Bible tells us that “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) Before you can be saved, you must understand that you are lost and that the only way to be saved is by obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 1:8) Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6) “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

You must believe and have faith in God because “without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6) But neither belief alone nor faith alone is sufficient to save. (James 2:19; James 2:24; Matthew 7:21)

You must repent of your sins. (Acts 3:19) But repentance alone is not enough. The so-called “Sinner’s Prayer” that you hear so much about today from denominational preachers does not appear anywhere in the Bible. Indeed, nowhere in the Bible was anyone ever told to pray the “Sinner’s Prayer” to be saved. By contrast, there are numerous examples showing that prayer alone does not save. Saul, for example, prayed following his meeting with Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:11), but Saul was still in his sins when Ananias met him three days later (Acts 22:16). Cornelius prayed to God always, and yet there was something else he needed to do to be saved (Acts 10:2, 6, 33, 48). If prayer alone did not save Saul or Cornelius, prayer alone will not save you. You must obey the gospel.
(2 Thess. 1:8)

You must confess that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. (Romans 10:9-10) Note that you do NOT need to make Jesus “Lord of your life.” Why? Because Jesus is already Lord of your life whether or not you have obeyed his gospel. Indeed, we obey him, not to make him Lord, but because he already is Lord. (Acts 2:36) Also, no one in the Bible was ever told to just “accept Jesus as your personal savior.” We must confess that Jesus is the Son of God, but, as with faith and repentance, confession alone does not save. (Matthew 7:21)

Having believed, repented, and confessed that Jesus is the Son of God, you must be baptized for the remission of your sins. (Acts 2:38) It is at this point (and not before) that your sins are forgiven. (Acts 22:16) It is impossible to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ without teaching the absolute necessity of baptism for salvation. (Acts 8:35-36; Romans 6:3-4; 1 Peter 3:21) Anyone who responds to the question in Acts 2:37 with an answer that contradicts Acts 2:38 is NOT proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ!

Once you are saved, God adds you to his church and writes your name in the Book of Life. (Acts 2:47; Philippians 4:3) To continue in God’s grace, you must continue to serve God faithfully until death. Unless they remain faithful, those who are in God’s grace will fall from grace, and those whose names are in the Book of Life will have their names blotted out of that book. (Revelation 2:10; Revelation 3:5; Galatians 5:4)

What is the church of Christ?

In Matthew 16:18, Jesus promised to build a church.
In Acts 2:47, Luke tells us that people were being
added to that church. Thus, we can conclude that Jesus
built His church sometime between His promise in
Matthew 16 and Luke’s statement in Acts 2. Indeed, a
closer study of the events in Acts 2 reveals that the
Lord’s church was established on that first day of
Pentecost following the Lord’s resurrection when Peter
preached the first gospel sermon. That church is the church of Christ.

A common misconception about the church of Christ is
that “The Church of Christ” is its name. It is not. The
“church of Christ” is its description. The church of
Christ is the church that belongs to Christ, that was
established by Christ, that was built by Christ, and
that was bought by Christ. It is not our church; it is
His church, the Lord’s church. We are not voted into
the church by men, and we do not join a church the way
some might join a country club. Instead, God adds us to
His church when we obey His gospel.

Are those in the church of Christ the only people
who are going to be saved? Of course they are! God
adds people to His church when they are saved. If you
are not in the Lord’s church, then you are not saved.
If you are saved, then you are in the Lord’s church. To
be saved outside of the church of Christ is to be saved
outside of the body of Christ – and that can never
happen. Jesus is not just a way to the Father; he is
the way to the Father. As Jesus said in John 14:6, “ I
am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto
the Father, but by me.”

Thus, the real question is not what is the church of
Christ, but is rather how do you become a part of the
church of Christ? That question was asked in the first
century as it is asked today, and the answer remains
the same. We are saved and added to the Lord’s church
when we obey the gospel of Jesus Christ. Like the
Apostle Paul, we are saved when our sins are washed
away at our baptism.

There is one church of Christ. If you are a member
of something else or something more or something less,
then you are not serving God according to His plan or
according to His will. He wants you to be a Christian
and only a Christian, wearing only the name of His Son,
Jesus Christ, who is the head and the savior of the
church, His body.

What Must I Do?

What must I do? That same question was asked in Acts 2:37 at the end of the very first gospel sermon ever preached. Before we look at Peter’s answer in verse 38, let’s look at some answers Peter did NOT give.

What must I do? John Calvin answers, “Nothing!” According to Calvin, there is nothing we must do and nothing we can do. Each of us has already been personally predestined to Heaven or Hell without regard to anything we do on Earth, and so, logically, according to Calvin, the only answer to the question in Acts 2:37 is “Nothing.” But that is NOT how Peter answered that question.

What must I do? Many preachers today answer, “You must make Jesus the Lord of your life.” But that answer makes absolutely no sense then or now! Peter had just said in Acts 2:36 that “God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” Jesus was already Lord of their lives! Jesus is Lord of lords and King of kings, which means he is your Lord and your King whether or not you obey him or believe him. We obey Jesus because he is Lord and King – not to make him Lord and King.

What must I do? Many preachers today answer, “You must pray the sinner’s prayer and invite the Lord Jesus into you heart.” But no one in the Bible was ever told to do that. In fact, Paul prayed after he saw Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:11), and yet Paul was still in his sins when Ananias met him three days later (Acts 22:16). Cornelius prayed to God always (Acts 10:2), and yet there remained something he still had to do after calling for Peter (Acts 10:6). If praying the sinner’s prayer was all that Paul and Cornelius needed to do, then why were Ananias and Peter needed?

What must I do? Listen as Peter answers that question: “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” (Acts 2:38) That answer has not changed one bit in the intervening 2000 years. If your preacher is telling you something different, then you need a new preacher! “And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” (Acts 22:16)

We also have 24 lessons on First Corinthians. In this epistle, Paul deals with many current issues facing the church both then and now: immorality, divorce and remarriage, the role of women, spiritual gifts, the importance of love, and the resurrection of the body.

We have 25 lessons on Second Corinthians. In this epistle, Paul continues to deal with problems facing the church in Corinth, which now include an influx of false apostles who are belittling Paul and demeaning his apostolic authority.

We have 13 lessons on James and Jude, the two letters written by the earthly (half)-brothers of Christ. They have much to tell us about the Christian life and how we are to contend for the faith in a godless world.